


How to (Not) Seduce Oga Tatsumi

by Lawrin_Lewis



Category: Beelzebub (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Demons, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Aoi is adorable i'll fight you, Furuichi angst, Furuichi is the babysitter now, Genderbent Furuichi, Genderswapped Furuichi, Hilda is a minor kami subservient to Beelzebub (the dad), Inspired by Kami-sama no Ekohiiki, M/M, Rather the entire premise comes from there lol, not for long though (probably)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-02-01 04:41:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12697569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawrin_Lewis/pseuds/Lawrin_Lewis
Summary: The day started so nicely. After all his dedication, Furuichi had finally managed to keep his promise to himself: pray at the rundown shrine every day for a hundred days and confess his love to his best friend, Oga Tatsumi. Everything was going well that day.Until he got brutally rejected and got hit by a truck.While floating in nothingness as his consciousness slipped away, Furuichi was approached by a (very cute) goth loli who appeared out of nowhere and offered to grant him a wish if he would look after a baby. Of course, Furuichi accepted and ohgoshwhathadhegottenhimselfinto...At least he was a cute girl now.





	1. How to Totally and Utterly Fail at Confessing

The bells clanged loudly as Furuichi tugged on red ropes. He bowed twice and clapped his hands. For a few moments, he prayed silently as birds chirped cheerfully. The shrine might be tiny, but Furuichi had already decided to put his faith into it the moment he tossed a 500 yen coin into the offering box ninety-nine days ago.

Today was undoubtedly nice. The sun shone bright as it rose from the horizon and the morning air was crisp. A light breeze murmured into the boy’s ears and gently caressed his white hair. The forest around this isolated shrine lent a tranquil quality to this spot, which did wonders to sooth Furuichi’s fraying nerves. He had a feeling that, even if things did not turn out as he wished, it wouldn’t be too bad. Taking another second to steel his resolve, he clenched his fist around the omamori hanging from his belt. Today, he would do it.

He would confess to Oga Tatsumi.

 

* * *

 

_He didn’t know when it first started but, by the time he had realized, Furuichi was already too deep in. Perhaps it was how Oga treated him so specially. Perhaps it was how Oga won every fight in the end. Or maybe, just maybe, he didn’t need a reason to fall in love when he first laid his eyes on a fiery young boy with the strength of a bull and the stubbornness of a mule._

 

* * *

 

 School was peaceful today. In fact, everybody seemed to get along even better than usual (though Sadohara was still distraught by how little they paid attention in class). Another good sign. The morning classes passed like a blur and Furuichi wished that time could move even faster. The longer he had to wait before confessing, the more anxious he became.

A plan was already formed in his mind. After class, he would bring Oga to their favorite ice cream stall, right next to the fountain in a park, savoring the last vestiges of summer with a sweet cone. It would soon be time for piping hot oden, and Oga’s sweet tooth would miss the frozen dessert terribly. Furuichi couldn’t help but chuckle at that thought. Despite Misaki’s warnings, Oga would surely be racing down the convenience store to buy more ice cream he should once it started snowing. _“This snow looks way too much like ice cream, y’know. All this snow looks like mountains of ice cream. Can’t resist man. I’m not weak anyway so I should eat as much ice cream as I like.”_ Takayuki never bothered to lecture him because yes, the man did have a strong stomach to go with his strong body.

After paying for their cones, Furuichi would lead them to a more isolated part of the park, which would be partially hidden by the foliage. They would finish their ice cream while talking about nothing important. Just like usual. Then, Furuichi would gather his courage and confess and… and Takayuki’s fantasies stopped there. He still wasn’t prepared for rejection. Though, seeing the flow of today, Oga might have one of his rare bouts of kindness and let Furuichi down gently. The boy’s heart ached but that was hardly the worst case scenario. It’s not like he didn’t know Oga belonged to someone else anyways. Speaking of which…

“Oga, let’s eat lunch together!” piped a blushing Kunieda Aoi in an obvious attempt at cheerfulness. It was actually really cute and endearing, Furuichi found. Like always, she held two bentos, thrusting one almost into Oga’s face. He accepted the bento and opened it to inspect the content. A happy expression took over Oga’s usual frown. Furuichi’s heart squeezed painfully as Oga rose from his seat to join Kunieda on the roof, leaving the white-haired boy to trail after them.

Unbeknownst of many — because Oga held exclusive right to the place, — the roof of Ishiyama high offered an unparalleled view of the city, a first-class seat to admire the expansive blue sky and dollhouses below if you will. It also offered a first-class seat to Oga and Kunieda’s lovey dovey newlyweds act. Featuring a blushing Kunieda inquiring about her cooking’s taste while Oga let out satisfied noises to show appreciation.

To be honest, their relationship still bugged Takayuki at times. The whole school (and he, most of all, ) knew they were dating. Yet, neither of them would just come forward to legitimize it. Probably because it didn’t matter anymore at this point.

Furuichi chomped down on his yakisoba bread with more force than necessary. Once he finished his bread in the space of perhaps two minutes, he rose from his place, muttered a _later_ and climbed down the stairs to return to his classroom. His presence wouldn’t be missed, he was sure. This realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.

 

* * *

 

 Finally, the day was over. Quickly, without allowing Kunieda the time to even rise from her seat, Furuichi snatched Oga’s arm and set off to the park. They ordered their ice cream — vanilla for Furuichi, pistacchio-chocolate-mint for Oga — and they sat down at a secluded bench. Everything was going as smoothly as planned.

When Oga finished the last bit of his cone, Furuichi was ready. He stroked the omamori on his belt one last time, wishing for luck.

“Oga.”

“Hm, what do you want?”

“I like you,” Furuichi said, voice hopefully steady. He couldn’t hear himself anymore as blood quickly rushed to his ears. His voice dwindled as fast as his confidence, and he quietly repeated, “I really like you.”

Oga stayed silent for a few seconds. Takayuki held his breath and a faint buzzing sound started to settle in his ears.

“Huh? What the heck? Don’t be gross Furuichi.”

Somehow, cutting through the buzzing, Oga’s words were clear. Too clear. Why did Takayuki think he could handle rejection? Already, his eyes were prickling. It must've been the wind. His breath were laborious. His heart was squeezing itself so hard it might be trying to implode. He couldn’t believe he had been so blind, so blind to the signs all day. The peace, so abnormal for their delinquent school, was the calm before the storm. This storm. The one threatening to destroy Furuichi at that very moment. His words felt too big for his throat, and he was choking on them. He soldiered on.

“Haha, yeah. I knew you'd say something like that.” The laugh sounded faker than plastic.

“Oi Furuichi what are you-”

“Sorry for putting you in that position. Not that you’re _that_ bothered by it. Just a matter of principles you know.”

“Hey, what’s wron-”

“Anyway, let’s go home. It’s dusk already,” he quickly added as the tears he fought against threatened to pour out in waterfalls. Without waiting for a reply, Furuichi flung himself off the bench they sat at. The bench the lovelorn boy had hoped would be a tiny bit romantic.

Oga called after him but Furuichi couldn’t hear what he said. He rushed away from the small path that wound around the park like secret passages.

 _Oh, I forgot my bag_ , Takayuki thought vaguely. Oga was running after him and Furuichi knew that his crush would catch up. He always did.

A panicked shout and a loud honk and Furuichi suddenly remembered the other reason why this place was so devoid of people. The path, perhaps a result of sloppy planning, connected directly to a busy street where large commercial trucks passed. Because of the abundance of foliage and a lack of barriers, it was deemed too dangerous for absent-minded children. Other demographics were also discouraged from frequenting this area.

The headlights shone bright enough to burn Furuichi’s retina. The weight of the truck slammed full force into his delicate body and, for a few agonizing seconds, he felt his bones breaking and his head bleeding. Everything was too sharp before it was too dull and Takayuki slipped into darkness.


	2. How to Become a New Person Via a Contract with a Divine Servant

“Hm… Before we go in, I just have to warn you,” Sadohara said, chuckling nervously and sweating profusely, “They might say some stupid or rude things but please don’t take them seriously, haha. They’re actually all good kids, I swear. They’re just…rough around the edges.”

Furuichi smiled. Sadohara suddenly relaxed. He must’ve thought Furuichi was sincerely reassured him, but Takayuki was actually amused. He knew first-hand how rowdy the delinquents at their school really were. While they fought all the time, most were, in fact, quite innocent and childish. Fitting in might be hard at first, but, considering his current status, Kunieda Aoi and Oomori Nene would take him under their wings and protect him for sure.

Sadohara opened the sliding door and walked in.

“Alright class! Quiet down. We’re having a transfer student today. I know it’s unusual at this time of the year” — a part of the class laughed because transfer students were unheard-of no matter when, _period_ — “but I hope everybody can still welcome our new companion with hospitality.  Now, let’s all invite them in to introduce themselves.” 

A few shouts of provocation were thrown out in lieu of greeting. (“Betcha this guy is a pussy.” “Hey, think we can get a new lackey.” “Lol! This guy ain’t gonna last, I tell ya.” “Yo, how strong do you they are?” “Come on now, don’t keep us waiting you piece of shit.”)

Takayuki took a deep breath to steady himself. No matter how used to it he was, a bunch of delinquents shouting was still scary. He walked in, paying extra attention to his pace. He stopped next to the teacher’s desk, smoothed down his perfectly ironed skirt and tucked a lock of black hair behind his ear. The class was entirely too silent for his taste. 

“Hello everyone, my name is Seika Takane. ‘Sei’ for holy and ‘ka’ for flower. Due to my parents’ work, the rest of my family moved abroad, so I currently live alone. I like fashion and video games. Please take care of me,” Takayuki ended with a short bow and a dazzling smile. 

The class, especially the male half, was still visibly stunned by the arrival of a female. Then, suddenly, they erupted into cacophonous cheers, some whistling and others attempted some poorly thought-out pickup lines. Startled, Furuichi took a step back. A loud bang silenced them. Kanzaki had kicked his desk. 

“Stop being so damn loud, you shits are disturbing my sleep,” ground out the blond man. His frown scared the lesser delinquents into immediate submission. 

“You’re not being honest, Kanzaki. Just admit you did that cause our little new student looked scared,” drawled Himekawa. Wait, scared? Furuichi wasn’t _scared_. He was just surprised by all the catcalls.

“W-what no! Why would I do that for her?” 

“That’s cause Kanzaki is actually a really nice big softie inside. It’s one of his good point,” piped Hanazawa Yuka. She sported her usual grin, and Kanzaki sputtered. The other Red Tails chimed in and, once again, the class descended into chaos. Sadohara coughed to gain attention, but nobody seemed to care. For a second, Furuichi pitied the man. 

“Anyway, Seika-kun, you can be seated right in front of Oga. That’ll be right before that last seat near the window.” 

To be honest, Takayuki wasn’t prepared to look at his crush in the eyes just yet. He could no longer delay contact in this situation didn’t exactly leave him any choice, however. Better get over it sooner than latter. Steeling himself, he swept his gaze locked onto Oga’s usual place. But the man wasn’t there. 

Seeing his confusion, Sadohara said, “Oh right,” — Furuichi wiped his head around to stare at his teacher — “he’s at the hospital today.” 

What? 

From what he could recall, Oga had been nowhere near the road when Takayuki got hit. What exactly happened that was serious enough to put the Demon of Ishiyama High in a boring white-walled hospital? Something seized the young man’s entrails and twisted it like a wet towel. Something akin to total dread. 

“At the hospital? Why? What happened!” At this point, Furuichi was screaming into Sadohara’s face, hands firmly holding the other’s upper arms. In other circumstances, he would feel awful for manhandling his teacher, but, right now, he couldn’t care less. He must’ve looked panicked, because Sadohara stuttered out an answer instead of question his reaction. 

“H-he got involved in a traffic accident yesterday. He’s fine though. His friend on the other hand…”

Furuichi’s eyes widened just as the class immediately stilled. The atmosphere tensed and the silence weighed heavily, almost physically, on Furuichi. Strained expressions replaced the earlier good cheer on his classmates’ faces. Were those tears he saw in the corners of Oomori’s eyes? They must be grieving for Furuichi. His death had torn him from their hearts, leaving a gaping hole that can only be patched by time but never be filled. The realization hit him hard, like a sledgehammer to his soul. No matter how much they made fun of him, they cared for him, and he did so too in turn. His eyes burned as he felt the precursor of tears. An Oga with a wretched expression flashed through his mind and his heart ached. He had died yesterday. He was dead. 

Furuichi Takayuki was dead.

 

* * *

 

Takayuki groggily opened his eyes, only to be faced with darkness. He grunted once. Too early. What had awoken him anyway? Considering the pitch blackness of the night, it couldn’t have been any of his family members. They must all be snoring, even if Furuichi couldn’t hear them. Resolute to continue his sleep, he closed his blue eyes and groped around for his blanket. Hm? Where was it… 

Without warning, a black boot came into contact with his face, and he swore he flew back a few feet as he would in some stupid Jump manga.

“Ow! What?” 

He prodded his nose as gently as possible and felt a bit of blood. At least nothing seemed broken. He lifted his head to complain but shut his mouth with a click at what he saw. One arm cradling a naked baby and the other holding a black umbrella, a gorgeous blond girl stood before him, somehow managing to look extra threatening. Furuichi found his eyes unwittingly trained on her huge chest.

“How long did you plan on making Young Master wait before you wake up, you useless fool?”

Furuichi thought it would be fair for him to point out that he was not useless or that he couldn’t plan anything without a single knowledge of his current situation, but the look of pure anger on the girl’s face pressured him into instant obedience. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” he said, performing an exaggerated dogeza. He hoped it would pacify that terrifying lady.

She harrumphed in response and tucked away her weapon. 

“Anyway, even if you’re a stupid insipid slug, I’m still here to offer you a deal. To reward you for your dedication during the last hundred days, my Master decided most graciously to grant you a wish. Be grateful, human.” 

The young man took a second to process the slew of information he just received. First, he was offered a wish and, according to the girl, he should take that like a boon granted by a lord. Meaning, her master was either an extremely distinguished individual, or she was a starry-eyed servant who only saw what she perceived her superior to be. Second, to rectify his previous statement, what he had was a deal, not a simple generous gift as the person in front of him implied. He would have to fulfill his end of the bargain if he wanted anything. Third, she called the green-haired baby young master, which most probably suggested that he was the son of the blond’s master. Seeing how she revered the later, Furuichi better not offend that baby. Fourth, her master must be related to the shrine he went to every day since around three months ago. Five, and most unbelievable of all, she called him human. Implying that she was not. Right. Okay. He was not freaking out.

“If you’re not human, what are you?” His voice trembled just a bit, as much as he hated to admit it. Was the ground under his feet swaying?

“You are a bit slow, huh? I’m a minor god, though I think of myself as more of a divine servant at the service of the great Beelzebub the III. ” 

_Why is he called Beelzebub?! Aren’t we in Japan?_

“Are you going to accept the deal or not?” the girl asked, tapping her foot to show impatience. 

“Uhm, I don’t even know what the deal entails, you see. I can’t just decide like that. It’s irresponsible.”

She stared at him. Furuichi froze, keeping as still as he could while feeling distinctly like the subject of a magnifier.

“I guess you’re right.” She nodded. “By having your wish granted, you will even have the privilege of looking after my Young Master, Kaiser de Emperana Beelzebub IV.” 

Furuichi took a look at the arms wound around the baby like a protective cage. He frowned. 

“And you’re okay with that?”

“My Master’s words are my command,” she replied simply, face neutral.

For the who-knows-how-many time of the day, his brain almost short-circuited. A god wanted the very mortal Takayuki to care for his baby? Too many thought whirled around his mind. He tried to summon as much information on childcare to determine if he were qualified for the job. At the same time, the child’s father seemed to think he was fit for the position. The warm sensation of hope licked at his stomach. The corners of his lips lifted just enough to show the beginning of a smile. With the wish, maybe he could… 

“Can you resurrect me?” 

“No. We can’t.” She frowned at him. 

So much for hope. Takayuki deflated. He sighed.

“What can I want then? It will all be useless.” 

“Not really. Weren’t you just rejected by the object of affection?” 

Furuichi stiffened. He did _not_ want to think of Oga right now. 

“What about that?” he asked slowly. 

“Don’t you want to seduce him and make him yours?” 

The young man started at that question.

“What do you mean? I’m dead. Corpses aren’t very sexy for your information.”

She clicked her tongue. “That’s not what I meant. What I meant is, we can give you a whole new identity. We can’t resurrect you because that’ll be against the fundamental law of Nature, but we can create a fake persona for you. Humans do that all the time with their paper forgery and the ‘starting over with a new life thing’.” 

“First of all, we humans don’t do that all the time. Second, are you for real? I can become anybody I want?” 

“First, you’d be surprised by how many fake people there are in the world. Second, yes, that’s exactly what I said, I believe.” 

“I-I think I’ll take you up the offer if that’s the case,” Furuichi muttered dazedly.

“Alright. What kind of person would you like to be then?”

“A gorgeous girl with blue eyes and chest-length black hair, which makes her look like a clean and proper beauty on whom both traditional and western wear look extremely good thanks to her 165cm height and her slim figure with a noticeable chest despite it only being a moderate size, not to mention that she’ll actually be as strong as a demon but as cute and shy as an angel, live in a dojo, and, if possible, she’ll be a few months older than Oga!”

The blond girl took a step away from him, umbrella back into her hand in a steady grip. A look of disgust showed on her otherwise perfect poke face. 

“W-what?” Furuichi asked, sweating nervously. 

“Nothing. Just wondering how detailed are your fantasies. Freak.” 

“N-No There’s a misunderstanding I swear! She’s not from my imagination.” He looked down on his intertwined fingers. “She’s… She’s Oga’s girlfriend.” Furuichi swallowed a lump in his throat at the word _girlfriend_. 

“So that man’s not available,” said the minor god. Furuichi squeezed his eyes harder. “You’ll have to win him over then. If you want to do that, you should try something else. Just copying won’t make him fall for you.” 

Takayuki blinked. “Wait what? You’re not condemning me for wanting someone taken?” 

“I don’t see the point in that. You don’t decide your feelings. Not to mention, it’s not like you’re stealing him or anything. If he does choose you, then it’ll simply mean he didn’t like her enough. And that’s not your fault.” 

Takayuki stared harder. _You don’t decide your feelings._ Something in him unraveled. _And that’s not your fault._ His heart fluttered like the wings of a dove. His vision cleared, colors brightening. Somehow, he felt more alive than when he was alive, he felt freer than he had in months, and he felt reckless.  

“You’re right. It’s not my fault. I was in love with him before Kunieda anyway.” He nodded to himself. “If I can seduce Oga, then I’ll do it. All’s fair in love and war!” 

The girl nodded in approval. “Just wish to become someone else and we can seal our deal.” 

“Okay then. How do we do this?” 

The god took out a sharpie - Seriously? A sharpie? - a drew a complicated symbol on the back of his hand, complete with kanjis he wouldn’t read. 

“By the way, my name’s Hildegarde. Call me Hilda. I don’t want idiots to botch up my name.” 

“Euh… Hi, Hilda?” 

She rolled her eyes and flicked the wrist holding her umbrella. It became a ceremonial knife. 

“Do you agree to our contract which consists of us helping you seduce Oga Tatsumi and, in exchange, of you protecting and caring for our Young Master?” 

“Yes,” Furuichi said, nervously eyeing the knife. 

Without warning, Hilda slashed the knife across the back of his hand. Takayuki would have screamed if he could but everything around him, including his mouth, dissolved, grotesquely enough. A searing pain coursed through his body (how did one describe a pain without a corporeal presence anyway?). He blacked out. _For the second time of the day_ , his mind supplied helpfully. 

And that was how Furuichi Takayuki seal the deal with the Devil (god) and became Seika Takane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About Furuichi's new name, it was inspired by the expression 'Takane no Hana (高嶺の花)' which means flower of the high peak. It's used to describe what's unattainable.  
> Seika Takane is spelt 聖花貴音, literally Holy Flower Expensive/Noble Sound. I used holy because of the relation to god (which I imagine Hilda would insist upon so Furuichi could show gratitude to Beel III). Also, Seika sounded cute. I kept the same Taka as Takayuki. Hope you guys like this new name.


	3. How to (Accidentally) Befriend Your Love Rival

This was a bad idea. No. This was the worst idea. The worst in the History of ever.

While Sadohara droned on about the Sengoku period’s famous figures, Takayuki buried his face in his hands in an attempt to hide his vacant expression. He was so absolutely livid towards himself he couldn’t even summon a scowl. That wouldn’t suffice to show his displeasure. 

He had managed to hide his nerves in front of his classmates, but the fact that he was dead hit him full force like a - with a lack of better terms and a dash of the macabre - truck. And he also made a contract with a god. Who revived him into a girl. Right.

His encounter with Hilda was strange to say to the least. What exactly had possessed him to agree to her deal _,_ Takayuki didn’t know. Probably the fact that Hilda had so easily accepted his crush on Oga, something Takayuki had long considered a secret. In love with his childhood friend, _in love with a man_. It became even more shameful when Oga had started dating Kunieda about a year ago. That easy acceptance had spurred excitement in his heart and made him take rash, completely irresponsible decision.

Takayuki wasn’t a being of irrationality. Before any action, he would analyse his situation, weigh his options, then set a best course of actions to follow. He wasn’t known as the strategist for nothing. All in all, Takayuki was dominated by reason.

Which was exactly why he had such difficulties accepting his current situation. Gods? Contracts? Rebirth? He wasn’t a happy-go-luck moron like Oga for goodness’s sake! 

Speaking of Oga, this was all his fault to begin with. All of Takayuki’s stupid decisions were related to that infuriating idiot. Attending Ishiyama instead of the objectively superior Saint-Ishiyama, for one. Getting involved with the whole delinquent fights that had been going on for decades at Ishiyama. Getting involved with the whole delinquent feud that had been going on for decades in the district. (To this day, Takayuki still lamented his stilted brain cells and inability to refuse when faced with the requests of his childhood friend/crush. He really shouldn’t have followed Oga when the latter had barreled into the second strongest delinquent school, and promptly punched their banchou in the face. It was actually kind of sweet since Oga had only stormed the school because they had previously ambushed Takayuki, but that was besides the point.) There was also, more innocuously, going out for hotpot in the middle of summer when the sun had blasted anything and everything into oblivion with its deadly rays. Snowball fighting in the park at the first snowflakes and ending up with a cold because neither had been wearing a coat a the time like a pair of idiots. Allowing himself to be dragged around at local matsuri and watch his wallet thinning like a starving man - as a contrast to the bastard stuffing himself with food right in front of Takayuki - because Oga had conveniently forgotten his at home. The cute fox mask which Oga won for Takayuki in a stupid game of ring tossing was an irrelevant detail. (Even as it occupied a prime place on his nightstand, right next to the lamp.)

And now, most recently, taking up a new identity just to seduce a man (who didn’t even have the courtesy to look exceptionally handsome or beautiful or something other than mildly attractive but really more  _ scary  _ than anything else). 

Takayuki felt an urge to bang his head on his desk, but feared the genocide of hundreds of brain cells when already so many were lost in his futile battle against his stupid sentimentalities so he refrained. 

Suddenly, a hand descended on his shoulder, and Takayuki jerked up. He lifted his head to see Kunieda smiling apologetically at him with Omori hovering awkwardly around her.

“Sorry for these guys, Seika-san” she said, tone painfully sweet and sincere even as she glared daggers into the men circling her desk - wait since when were they there. “I’m Kunieda Aoi, the class president and health board member and student president and, um, a lot of other stuff actually…”  _ And official school idol and Oga’s unofficial wife _ , Fuichi thought bitterly. But before he went down that line of thought, he stopped himself. He wasn’t being fair to her. It wasn’t Kunieda’s fault she was born perfect. “Anyway, if you need anything, just ask me or Nene. We’ll do our best to help.” She beamed brightly and pointed her thumb at Omori, who looked uncharacteristically nervous. The latter extended her hand, seemingly going for a handshake, but Takayuki couldn’t tell for sure because it looked more like a stilted spasm from her right arm than anything.

Whatever. Takayuki took it and shook it twice with a smile on his lips. Omori seemed satisfied and relaxed a little bit. She muttered something about a commotion in the courtyard and dealing with some trash and left.

Kunieda must’ve caught his puzzled stare. “Um, she usually not this awkward. She’s - and I think this applies to most of us - not used to, er,  _ normal _ girls and...” She chanced a nervous glance at Takayuki, who only nodded for her to continue. Reassured, she cleared her throat. “Nene and I are part of a group. We’re called the Red Tails, and we try to maintain a certain amount of order around here. You see, our school’s girls are pretty strong so we can stand our grounds, but the normal girls like you can have a difficult time. We vowed to protect them. Unfortunately, not all of them view our actions as such. They’re pretty afraid of us actually, courtesy of our school and our status as delinquents I’d say. In fact, Yuka was almost kicked in the guts after she took down three guys in an alleyway to save a pair of middle schoolers. That’s why Nene was so stiff. She didn’t know how to handle you. I just hope you can understand her. We all wish to be friends, especially newcomers.” Kunieda smiled gently at him, looking uncertain yet hopeful. She had the kind of smile that calmed crying babies down.

Takayuki was admittedly amazed. He never thought the famous “Kunieda’s Red Tails” faced those kind of troubles or that their members stressed so much over them. Even so, their leader dealt with Seika Takane’s issue fairly well: saving Seika from a pack of intimidating men, projecting the image of a model student, and explaining their situation diplomatically all while staying friendly, allowing Seika to sympathise with the Red Tails’s cause. Most of all, everything obviously came naturally to her, no planning or underhanded mind games involved.

While Takayuki’s tactical mind could appreciate Kunieda’s masterful approach, another corner of his brain was stuck on one detail.

“Um, how could you be so sure I’m a normal girl? I mean, I practically manhandled Sadohara-sensei. Maybe I’m a lawless brawler who goes into the streets looking for a fight on the night of a full moon.” Okay, so the last sentence was meant as a joke, but Takayuki really didn’t know how to take the news that he looked as if he could be scared of a girl like Kunieda or Hanazawa (of Omori, however… Takayuki internally shuddered.)

Kunieda’s smile turned indulgent as she looked down at him, and he suddenly wished he was standing instead. Takayuki suppressed the urge to loudly say an extremely childish and annoyed ‘What?’

“Well, to begin, your uniform is worn well, not a bit out of line. Nobody wears it like you do.” Takayuki felt like pointing out her hypocrisy, as Kunieda was just as proper as him, but she continued on without letting him the chance. “Second, you looked scared, no, terrified, when the boys surrounded you at your desk. You had your face in your hands and your shoulders were drawn close to your body and all. Third, you only treated Sadohara-sensei roughly because you were panicking. It’s completely justified. Speaking of which, -” she frowned, “- do you know Oga? You were really worried about him.”

“Er, I do. I became friends with him as a child. We often played at the same park,” said Takayuki, perhaps a bit too fast. He fervently hoped that Kunieda wouldn’t see through his half-baked story. Luckily, she seemed more preoccupied with another issue, as she then said, “D-do you know Furuichi then?”

Takayuki almost choked. Not so lucky, then. “Er, no. I don’t know him. What does he have to do with Oga-kun? Were they friends?” Takayuki inquired in a tone that he hoped would convey polite curiosity. The words felt like they were torn out of his mouth, as the idea of Furuichi Takayuki being another person entirely almost hurt physically. At least he didn’t stutter.

“Yeah. I’m surprised you don’t know him. Oga and Furuichi were always together. Even if the world ended, I’d still expect them to be next to each other. They were inseparable.” Those words simultaneously warmed and prickled his heart. Takayuki took a moment to wonder if he really could’ve stayed as close to Oga as he’d been had the truck not killed him. Physically, he would always and forever be there, but the heart was a different matter. Unrequited love was painful, suffocating, smothering. If he didn’t distance himself from Oga, he would feel himself slowly dying, like a sad, withering plant. No, it would hurt too much. The worst was who would’ve he been able to tell? Oga? Never. Kunieda? She didn’t deserve the burden of his dead love. She was too kind, too considerate, and too sensitive. She would blame herself, even when it wasn’t her fault. If anything, Takayuki was glad Oga found her. If it couldn’t ever be him, it would at least be Kunieda, a girl who would be good for his best friend. She could fight right next to him in a brawl, cook nice meals for him at home, and, most of all, lace their hands together in the streets, shoulders pressed close and lips curved into smiles, without anybody staring or judging them.

“Oh. My family moved to Sapporo for a while so Oga-kun probably became acquainted with Furuichi-kun after I lost contact with him. Why do you ask?”

“Er, well, something happened yesterday. Remember how Sadohara-sensei said there was an accident? Furuichi got hit by a truck near the park and now h-he…” Kunieda stared at the floor, as if the unimpressive wooden floor were suddenly really fascinating.

“Oh. I-I’m sorry for what happened.” Takayuki didn’t have to fake his distress.

“It’s okay. It’ll be fine. I mean…” Kunieda distractedly shook her head and continued. “I mean, it’s not okay now. We won’t be for a long time. But it gets better, I’m sure. He’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. That’s how it goes, right?” Takayuki was unsure whether she was trying to convince him or herself.

“I’m sure you’re right.”

They stayed quiet for a while for both of them to regain their bearings. Kunieda sniffled a few time, but thankfully didn’t cry.

“Anyway. Let’s stop talking about such depressing things. I bet you didn’t bring a bento today.” Seeing Furuichi’s surprised expression, she grinned. “I saw the inside of your bag just before. It only had a pencil case and a notebook, and I don’t see any extra packages.”

Kunieda returned to her desk to pick up her bag. She took out a package wrapped in a cute pale pink square of fabric and handed it to him. “I originally prepared this for Oga, but he’s absent. There’s no point to wasting food, so you might as well take it. Consider it a welcome gift,” she said sheepishly. “Sorry it’s nothing much, but we didn’t expect a new student today so…”

“Oh no, I’m really happy!” Furuichi quickly comforted her. “You shouldn’t feel obligated to give me anything in the first place. Not to mention, it’s true I didn’t pack a bento. I was planning on buying some food at the cafeteria. Homemade always win against prepackaged bread, right?”

Kunieda’s smile was radiant like a thousand LED lights. “I’m glad. I know a nice place to eat during lunch. I can give you the school tour after classes. How about it?”

Furuichi quickly nodded, afraid to see Kunieda become dejected again.

Predictably, they ended up on the roof.

**Author's Note:**

> *impulsively write a first chapter*  
> *releases said first chapter*  
> *realizes author must now be committed to finishing this story*  
> *!!!!!!!!!!!*


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